A state monitoring device (so-called a driver state monitor) for monitoring the state of an automobile driver to realize safe traveling of the automobile has been known, and such a state monitoring device includes a light emitter, a camera, and a controller (see, for example, patent literature 1).
In the state monitoring device, the light emitter emits light including near-infrared light to irradiate a predetermined area where the face of a driver is positioned. The camera generates an image of an imaging area which is an area including the predetermined area. The controller monitors the state of the driver by performing image processing on the image generated by the camera.
The controller included in the state monitoring device disclosed in patent literature 1 prohibits light emission when the engine of the automobile is stopped or idling.
The inventor of the present application conceived that when a driver seated on the driver seat immediately starts driving, it is preferable to monitor whether the driver is in a state suitable for driving, even when the engine of the automobile is stopped or idling. The inventor of the present application arrived at an idea that when the driver immediately starts driving, the state monitoring device makes a light emitter emit the light and monitors the state of the driver even when the engine of the automobile is stopped or idling.
The state monitoring device disclosed in patent literature 1, however, prohibits light emission of the light emitter when the engine is stopped or idling, so that it is not possible to conduct state monitoring by making the light emitter emit the light at required timing.